What's New on CADREK12.org

Event | NSF DRK-12 Solicitation Webinar 2
NSF released a pre-recorded information session on the new DRK-12 Solicitation 23-596. DRK-12 Solicitation 23-596 Q&A Webinar 2 (July 25, 2023): Recording | Slides Led by NSF Program Directors Asli Sezen-Barrie, Margret Hjalmarson, Barry Sloane, and Robert Russell. Topics: technical support and budgeting. Visit our NSF Proposal Toolkit for more guidance and resources.  
Posted: Monday, June 26
Event | NSF DRK-12 Solicitation Webinar 1
NSF released a pre-recorded information session on the new DRK-12 Solicitation 23-596. DRK-12 Solicitation 23-596 Q&A Webinar 1 (July 20, 2023): Recording | Slides Led by NSF Program Directors Joan Walker, Jen Noll, and Rob Ochsendorf. Topics: merit review criteria, program strands, and project types. Visit our NSF Proposal Toolkit for more guidance and resources.
Posted: Monday, June 26
Announcement | New DRK-12 Solicitation: Informational Webinars and Resources
CADRE will host NSF-led informational sessions on the new DRK-12 Solicitation 23-596. If you are planning to submit a DRK-12 proposal (deadline November 8, 2023), we encourage you to register and attend one of the following events and access the resources listed below. Office Hours with NSF Program Directors Monday, August 7, 2023 | 1:00-2:00 PM ET Tuesday, August 15, 2023 | 1:00-2:00 PM ET…
Posted: Friday, June 23
Survey | 2023 PI Meeting Lunch Survey
Boxed lunches will be provided for the informal networking lunch on June 29. If you require a gluten-free and/or vegetarian meal, please respond to this quick survey as soon as possible, and by ___ at the latest.
Posted: Monday, June 12
Survey | 2023 PI Meeting Session RSVP
If you plan to attend either of the following sessions, please RSVP as soon as possible and by June 12 at the latest.
Posted: Monday, June 05
Announcement | New DRK-12 Solicitation!
NSF has released the DRK-12 NSF 23-596 solicitation. Proposals are due on November 8, 2023. Review What's New including: New Partnership Development project type; Emphasis on a programmatic commitment to research in the Teaching Strand as STEM workforce development; Emphasis on communication / dissemination plans as one component of knowledge mobilization or the reciprocal exchange or translation…
Posted: Tuesday, May 30
Resource | What’s New in the 2023 DRK-12 Solicitation
The new DRK-12 solicitation (NSF 23-596) introduces several changes and updates compared to the previous solicitation (NSF 20-572). Proposal writers should take note of the differences outlined in this document.
Posted: Monday, May 29
Event | Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) Full Proposal Deadline
Learn more at https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/discovery-research-prek-12-dr…
Posted: Friday, May 26
Resource | Socio-Scientific Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparing In-person and Virtual Science Learning Using Model-Evidence Link Diagrams
Science learning is an important part of the K-12 educational experience, as well as in the lives of students. This study considered students’ science learning as they engaged in the instruction of scientific issues with social relevance. With classroom environments radically changing during the COVID-19 pandemic, our study adapted to teachers and students as they were forced to change from more…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | Integrative Analysis Using Big Ideas: Energy Transfer and Cellular Respiration
Big ideas in science education are meant to be interpretive frameworks that empower student learning. Unfortunately, outside of the broad conception of scientific evaluation, there are few theoretical explanations of how this might happen. Therefore, we contribute one such explanation, an instructional concept called integrative analysis wherein students use a big idea to interconnect isolated…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | Integrative Analysis Using Big Ideas: Energy Transfer and Cellular Respiration
Big ideas in science education are meant to be interpretive frameworks that empower student learning. Unfortunately, outside of the broad conception of scientific evaluation, there are few theoretical explanations of how this might happen. Therefore, we contribute one such explanation, an instructional concept called integrative analysis wherein students use a big idea to interconnect isolated…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | Integrative Analysis Using Big Ideas: Energy Transfer and Cellular Respiration
Big ideas in science education are meant to be interpretive frameworks that empower student learning. Unfortunately, outside of the broad conception of scientific evaluation, there are few theoretical explanations of how this might happen. Therefore, we contribute one such explanation, an instructional concept called integrative analysis wherein students use a big idea to interconnect isolated…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | A Model Comparison Approach to Posterior Predictive Model Checks in Bayesian Confirmatory Factor Analysis
Posterior Predictive Model Checking (PPMC) is frequently used for model fit evaluation in Bayesian Confirmatory Factor Analysis (BCFA). In standard PPMC procedures, model misfit is quantified by comparing the location of an ML-based point estimate to the predictive distribution of a statistic. When the point estimate is far from the center posterior predictive distribution, model fit is poor. Not…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | A Gibbs Sampling Algorithm with Monotonicity Constraints for Diagnostic Classification Models
Diagnostic classification models (DCMs) are restricted latent class models with a set of cross-class equality constraints and additional monotonicity constraints on their item parameters, both of which are needed to ensure the meaning of classes and model parameters. In this paper, we develop an efficient, Gibbs sampling-based Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo estimation method for general DCMs…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | The Impact of Sample Size and Various Other Factors on Estimation of Dichotomous Mixture IRT Models
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different data conditions on item parameter recovery and classification accuracy of three dichotomous mixture item response theory (IRT) models: the Mix1PL, Mix2PL, and Mix3PL. Manipulated factors in the simulation included the sample size (11 different sample sizes from 100 to 5000), test length (10, 30, and 50), number of classes (2 and 3…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | Investigating Teachers’ Understanding Through Topic Modeling: A Promising Approach to Studying Teachers’ Knowledge
Examining teachers’ knowledge on a large scale involves addressing substantial measurement and logistical issues; thus, existing teacher knowledge assessments have mainly consisted of selected-response items because of their ease of scoring. Although open-ended responses could capture a more complex understanding of and provide further insights into teachers’ thinking, scoring these responses is…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | Estimation of Multidimensional Item Response Theory Models with Correlated Latent Variables Using Variational Autoencoders
Artificial neural networks with a specific autoencoding structure are capable of estimating parameters for the multidimensional logistic 2-parameter (ML2P) model in item response theory (Curi et al. in International joint conference on neural networks (IJCNN), 2019), but with limitations, such as uncorrelated latent traits. In this work, we extend variational auto encoders (VAE) to estimate item…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | Modification Indices for Diagnostic Classification Models
Diagnostic classification models (DCMs) are psychometric models for evaluating a student’s mastery of the essential skills in a content domain based upon their responses to a set of test items. Currently, diagnostic model and/or Q-matrix misspecification is a known problem with limited avenues for remediation. To address this problem, this paper defines a one-sided score statistic that is a…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | Patterns of Using Multimodal External Representations in Digital Game-based Learning
Although prior research has highlighted the significance of representations for mathematical learning, there is still a lack of research on how students use multimodal external representations (MERs) to solve mathematical tasks in digital game-based learning (DGBL) environments. This exploratory study was to examine the salient patterns problem solvers demonstrated using MERs when they engaged in…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | Exploring Students’ Learning Support Use in Digital Game-based Math Learning: A Mixed-Methods Approach Using Machine Learning and Multi-cases Study
Digital game-based math learning environments (math DGBLE) are promising platforms that provide students with opportunities to master conceptual understanding and cultivate mathematical thinking, on which the contemporary mathematics education places an emphasis. Literature on learning support in digital game-based learning (DGBL) rarely investigate learners' support-use behaviors and interaction…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | Effects of Game-based Learning Supports on Students’ Math Performance and Perceived Game Flow
Adopting a pretest–posttest experimental design with repeated measures, this study examined the effects of three types of game-based learning supports in the form of modeling on knowledge development that contributed to successful math problem solving and students’ perceived game flow. Forty-one sixth-grade students participated in the study and played a 3D architecture game that aims to promote…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | Infect, Attach or Bounce off?: Linking Real Data and Computational Models to Make Sense of the Mechanisms of Diffusion
This study explores how the interplay between data and model design shifts 6th graders’ students' ideas about diffusion as they build a range of models (“paper and pencil” and computational models). We present a new web-based environment and approach that integrates model-based and data-based features in the same display which facilitates the comparison of models and real-world data. Further, we…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | MoDa: Designing a Tool to Interweave Computational Modeling with Real-world Data Analysis for Science Learning in Middle School
Coordinating modeling and real-world data is central to building scientific theories. This paper examines how a complementary focus on modeling and data contributed to 8th grade students’ learning of mechanisms underlying wildfire smoke spread in MoDa, a web-based environment that integrates computational modeling side-by-side with real-world data for comparison and validation. Epistemic network…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | Exploring the Potential of an Online Suite of Practice-Based Activities for Supporting Preservice Elementary Teachers in Learning How to Facilitate Argumentation-Focused Discussions in Mathematics and Science
This study explored the use of a three-part suite of practice-based activities -- one- and two-player online simulations, an avatar-based simulation, and a virtual teaching simulator—for supporting preservice teachers in learning how to facilitate argumentation-focused discussions in elementary mathematics and science. We share findings from analysis of survey data examining four elementary…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | Eliciting Learner Knowledge: Enabling Focused Practice Through an Open-Source Online Tool
Eliciting and interpreting students’ ideas are essential skills in teaching, yet pre-service teachers (PSTs) rarely have adequate opportunities to develop these skills. In this study, we examine PSTs’ patterns of discourse and perceived learning through engaging in an interactive digital simulation called Eliciting Learner Knowledge (ELK). ELK is a seven-minute, chat-based virtual role play…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | “Unnatural How Natural It Was”: Using a Performance Task and Simulated Classroom for Preservice Secondary Teachers to Practice Engaging Student Avatars in Scientific Argumentation
Facilitating discussions is a key approach that science teachers use to engage students in scientific argumentation. However, learning how to facilitate argumentation-focused discussions is an ambitious teaching practice that can be difficult to learn how to do well, especially for preservice teachers (PSTs) who typically have limited opportunities to tryout and refine this teaching practice.…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | Examining Elementary Science Teachers' Responses to Assessments Tasks Designed to Measure Their Content Knowledge for Teaching About Matter and its Interactions
Despite the importance of developing elementary science teachers' content knowledge for teaching (CKT), there are limited assessments that have been designed to measure the full breadth of their CKT at scale. Our overall research project addressed this gap by developing an online assessment to measure elementary preservice teachers' CKT about matter and its interactions. This study, which was…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | Undergraduate Engineering and Education Students Reflect on Their Interdisciplinary Teamwork Experiences Following Transition to Virtual Instruction Caused by COVID-19
This study explores undergraduate engineering and education students’ perspectives on their interdisciplinary teams throughout the rapid transition to online learning and instruction from a face-to-face to a virtual format. In this qualitative study, students’ reflections and focus groups from three interdisciplinary collaborations were analyzed using the lens of Social Cognitive Theory. COVID-19…
Posted: Monday, May 22
Resource | COVID-19 as a Magnifying Glass: Exploring the Importance of Relationships as Education Students Learn and Teach Robotics via Zoom
Ed+gineering, an NSF-funded program, adapted hands-on robotics instruction for online delivery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative multiple case study shares the experiences of participating education students in spring 2021 as they collaborated virtually with engineering students and fifth graders to engineer bioinspired robots in an afterschool technology club adapted to be…
Posted: Monday, May 22